Method for transforming a yarn spinning and/or twisting machine and modified yarn spinning and/or twisting machine resulting from said method

ABSTRACT

A method for transforming a yarn spinning and/or twisting machine and the yarn spinning and/or twisting machine modified according to the method to increase the height (h) of the balloon region zone (a), between the upper and lower ends thereof is provided. In order to provide the zone with two or more balloon regions (a), with means for feeding (1) the thread (2) using conventional upper guides (3), and means for tensing (4) and rolling (5) the thread (2) onto a lower collection reel (6), includes elimination of the conventional guide means (3); and the incorporation of an additional guide accessory (3′) immediately after the feed means (1), including for example, of a clip (30) or a set of rollers (32) optionally with a conveyor belt (33).

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention, as set out in the title of this specification, relates to a method for transforming a thread twisting and/or spinning machine and a thread twisting and/or spinning machine modified according to said method which provides, to the use it relates to, advantages and novel features, described in detail below and which entails an improved alternative for the current state of the art.

The object of this invention is a thread twisting and/or spinning machine modified to carry out said thread twisting and/or spinning by carrying out the threads rotate with numerous balloon regions, which comprises an attachment that increases the height of the area of the balloon region, that is, the separation distance between the guiding means in the feeding area of the thread and the twisting means of said thread for its winding to the pickup spool, thus the essential aspect of the present invention is a method for transforming the thread twisting and/or spinning machine which carries out the spinning and/or twisting process with only one balloon region into a machine which carries it out with numerous balloon regions by means of the addition of an attachment to said machine which, without modifying other elements thereof, increases the height of the balloon region, that is, the separation distance between the guiding means in the feeding area of the thread and the twisting means of said thread in order to wind it to the pickup spool.

FIELD OF THE APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The field of application of the present invention falls within the industry sector involved in the manufacturing of thread twisting and/or spinning machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the textile industry, and particularly in the thread twisting and spinning industry, the use of continuous ring spinning machines, ring twisting machine, multiple twist twisting machines, two-for-one twist, vertical cabling, cabling twisting machine, etc.

All these machines, in order to give torsion to the thread, are forced to make the thread rotate at a distance from the rotation centre in order to save a space occupied by a part of the machine and it produces a revolution figure called a “balloon”. This balloon is determined by a revolution volume or area with a central rotation axis, for example, with a conic volume.

In the past, the manufacturers of spinning and twisting machines tended to eliminate or reduce the balloon by physically limiting it in order to avoid an increase of the balloon diameter and reduce the height of the balloon as much as possible so that the tensions produced in the thread for the twisting and/or spinning process were lower and to avoid potential damages to the thread, which may affect its quality, breaks during the production process, so the rotation speed or angular speed was limited and the productivity was adversely affected.

However, the applicant himself, through his patent WO2017IB52009 discloses a thread twisting and/or spinning method to avoid said problem with numerous balloon regions instead of a single region; namely a method wherein a thread passing between a thread feeding means (such as at least one spool for example) towards a thread pickup means, said thread pickup and/or winding means being connected to motor-driven means to rotate the thread winding means at a default speed, where a balloon region is produced at a point located between the feeding means and the winding means due to the presence of twisting means, specifically being differentiated in that the rotation speed value of the thread twisting means is such that the track followed by the thread between the feeding means and the pickup (or winding) means, due to the activation of the twisting means, produces a helical track with oscillating spiral diameters throughout the existing distance between the feeding means and the thread pickup and/or winding means, in such a way that a revolution body is created which has at least one hyperboloid structure creating at least two balloon regions that are consecutive to each other, and this can be carried out by means of structures comprising between 2 and 20 balloon regions.

According to said method, twisting by means of numerous balloon regions offsets the work tension, in such a way that the tension produced by the twisting means is lower than the tension produced in the traditional spinning and/or twisting processes, which, in turn, provides remarkable advantages.

In order to increase the number of the balloon regions and, as a result, the hyperboloid structures, the method of the cited document envisages the increase of the height of the area occupied by the balloon region, preferably, so that said height is at least twice the diameter generating the balloon region.

Moreover, since this type of machine has a high cost, in order to apply said method the machine is usually modified to increase the separation distance between the guiding means, which are located in the top part of the balloon region, under the thread feeding area, and the twisting means of said thread to be winded to the pickup spool, in the lower part of the such balloon region.

The problem is that, so far, even if the cost is not as expensive as manufacturing a new machine, said modification is very expensive and difficult to carry out since, broadly speaking, it is based on “cutting” the upper elements of the machine covering the area of the guiding means and feeding means of the thread and, through the addition of elements such as supports or others, for example columns and profiles by way of a bridge, locate them in a higher position which increases the aforementioned distance with respect to the twisting means. It should be noted that these machines usually include a plurality of parallel elements which spin and twist an equally plural number of threads at the same time.

Thus, the object of the present invention is the development of an improved modified machine in order to increase said height of the area occupied by the balloon region by applying a method to carry out such modification, which is much simpler, easy to perform and, consequently, more practical and economic than through the currently used system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method for transforming a thread twisting and/or spinning machine and the modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to said method proposed by the invention resolve all the problems mentioned and are a remarkable novelty within their scope, since according to their implementation the aforementioned objectives are satisfactorily met, and their features being conveniently contained in the final claims included in the present specification.

More particularly, the machine proposed by the invention, as stated above, is a thread twisting and/or spinning machine which is modified to carry out said thread twisting and/or spinning process by making said threads rotate with multiple balloon regions and for this purpose, unlike the system used so far consisting in the elevation of the set of elements of the machine which feed the thread and determine the guiding means thereof to increase the height of the area occupied by the balloon region, that is, the separation distance between the guiding means in the thread feeding area and the twisting means of said thread to be winded to the pickup spool, it simply has an additional guiding accessory which obtains the same effect, that is, to increase the height of the area occupied by the balloon region by increasing the separation distance between the guiding means in the feeding area of the thread and the twisting means of said thread to be wound to the pickup spool.

Advantageously, said additional guiding accessory replaces the conventional guiding means of the thread and for example it consists of a hoop, clip or a similar accessory, located at a certain distance above or below the thread feeding rollers which increases said height of the area of the balloon region to allow the thread twisting through the formation of two or more balloon regions located in a point just below such thread feeding rollers or even above them to increase the aforementioned separation distance between the guiding means in the thread feeding area and the twisting means of said thread to be wound to the pickup spool by lifting the position of the means.

The additional accessory may be secured either to the thread feeding rollers or to any other fixed part of the thread twisting and/or spinning machine. Since it is an additional accessory, it may be nimbly secured to the machine without modifying the thread twisting and/or spinning machine.

As such, in a first variant of the embodiment, the said additional guiding accessory consists of a clip that is installed in the machine just at the outlet of the thread from the rollers constituting the feeding means thereof, said clips being provided with one or more thread-guide hooks that guide the thread at the top end of the area of the balloon region, thus increasing the height of said area so that there can be two or more balloon regions when the thread is twisted.

In a second variant of the embodiment, the aforementioned additional guiding accessory consists of a thread lifting mechanism before the twist of the strand, for example a set of rollers linked, optionally to a conveyor belt (strips), along which the strand runs forming a loop at the outlet of the feeding rollers, this set of rollers being placed in such a way that said loop raises the thread before twisting the strand above the point where it emerges from the feeding means, thus increasing the height of the area of the balloon region so that there may be two or more balloon regions when the thread is twisted. Another example of a thread lifting mechanism before twisting the strand is by means of rollers.

As stated above, the invention relates to the transformation method of a thread twisting and/or spinning machine into the modified machine described above to carry out said thread twisting and/or spinning process by making them rotate with numerous balloon regions through the increase of the height in the area covered by the balloon region, that is, by increasing the separation distance between the guiding means of the thread and the twisting means of said thread, which comprises at least the following stages:

-   -   a first stage for removing the guiding means of the thread         located at a distance under the feeding means; and     -   a second stage for incorporating an additional guiding accessory         which is placed just behind the thread feeding means, wherein         such additional guiding accessory consists of the clip or a set         or rollers, optionally with a conveyor belt, described in the         preceding paragraphs.

This way, the thread twisting and/or spinning machine is modified by increasing the height of the area covered by the balloon region so that it has two or more balloon regions where the thread is twisted, increasing the separation distance between the guiding means in the thread feeding area and the twisting means of such thread to be wound to the pickup spool, without the need to lift the whole set of elements consisting of the guiding means of the thread and the feeding means, which entails a much simpler and cheaper modification that can also be made much more quickly and, thus, not affect the production.

Lastly, it is important to note that the preferred variant of the embodiment shall be one wherein the additional guiding accessory is a thread lifting mechanism before twisting the strand comprising a set of connected rollers along which the thread runs forming a loop at the outlet of the feeding rollers, lifting the strand above the point where it emerges from said feeding means.

In a preferred embodiment the set of rollers (32) comprises a conveyor belt (33). In this embodiment, the strand, as it moves together with the conveyor belt, does not suffer any friction and, therefore, it does not deteriorate, and at the same time, it is a negative feature for a good quality of the fabric to be produced with the thread and it is produced as a result of the thread friction with guiding elements such as hoops or similar ones.

Optionally, the additional guiding accessory (3′) comprises compaction means of the strand during the lifting thereof. The compaction means serve to reduce the hairiness of the final thread.

For example, the compaction means of the strand are already well-known in traditional technologies and are incorporated during the transport of the strand in the final stage thereof just before being spun and turned into a thread. They can mainly be of the mechanical type or by means of air. We do not go into detail regarding the compaction systems or means, but we do focus on where it is located during the new lifting course of the strand resulting from the present invention.

The method described for transforming a thread twisting and/or spinning machine and the thread twisting and/or spinning machine modified according to said method thus consist of innovations of still unknown features for their purpose, reasons that combined with their practical utility, give them sufficient basis to obtain the requested exclusivity privilege.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to supplement the above description and with the aim of helping a better understanding of the features of the invention, this specification is accompanied by a set of drawings, which are an integral part thereof, wherein by way of illustration and not limitation, the following has been represented:

FIG. 1 shows, in a very schematic representation, an elevation view of the main elements of the machine area intervening to demarcate the height of the area of the balloon region formed by the thread during its twisting process, in an unmodified example thereof, that is, with space for a single balloon region;

FIG. 2 also shows a schematic elevation view of the main elements of the spinning machine after being modified in order to comprise numerous balloon regions, according to the prior art;

FIG. 3-A shows a schematic elevation view of the main elements of the spinning machine after being modified in order to comprise numerous balloon regions, according a first variant of the embodiment, in particular modified with an additional accessory consisting of a thread-guide clip located next to the thread feeding means;

FIG. 3-B shows a schematic elevation view of the spinning machine modified to comprise numerous balloon regions, according to other option of the first variant of the embodiment, in particular modified with an additional accessory, in this case secured to a fixed part of the machine; and

FIGS. 4-A and 4-B show the schematic elevation views of the main elements of the spinning machine after being modified to comprise numerous balloon regions, according to a second variant of the embodiment, in particular modified with an additional accessory consisting of a set of rollers with guiding conveyor belt which lifts the thread to an upper point behind the thread feeding means; the FIGS. 4-A and 4-B show each position options of said set of rollers.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned figures, and according to the adopted numbering, apart from an example of a modified machine according to the prior art, both exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the twisting and/or spinning machine modified according to the invention can be seen, comprising the parts and elements indicated and described below in detail.

Thus, FIG. 1 shows, very schematically, the essential elements of a conventional ring thread twisting and/or spinning machine that is not modified, that is, it only has a single balloon region (a) and, basically, they consist of the thread (2) feeding means (1), preferably a set of standard rollers, conventional guiding means (3) which are located at a distance under the feeding means (1), and demarcate the top end of said balloon region (a) at the top, and twisting (4) and winding (5) means of said thread (2) perpendicular to a pickup spool (6), which preferably consist of a tensor rotating around a ring, determining the lower end of the balloon region (a) and which have been located above the spindle which shall form the cited spool (6) instead of surrounding it, in order to ensure a better incorporation of such elements.

FIG. 2 shows how, according to the prior art, the modification method of said machine to increase the height (h) of the balloon region area (a), between the guiding means (3) and the twisting (4) and winding (5) means in order to obtain two or more balloon regions (a), consists of lifting, as it is, all the elements located in the top part of said balloon region (a), that is, the guiding means (3) and the feeding means (1) of the thread (2), by moving them, without modifying its number or structure or configuration, to a higher position that coincides with the suitable position to obtain the necessary separation height (h) between said guiding means (3) and the twisting (4) and winding (5) means to have the desired two or more balloon regions (a).

Furthermore, as FIGS. 3 and 4-A, 4-B show, in order to carry out the modification to increase the height (h) of the area of balloon regions (a) in order to obtain two or more balloon regions (a) in the machine of the invention, and according to the proposed method herein, the replacement of the conventional guiding means (3) by an additional guiding accessory (3′) located in a point just behind the feeding means (1) of the thread (2) is envisaged, either underneath or above them.

More specifically, FIG. 3 shows how said additional guiding accessory (3′), in a first embodiment option, comprises a clip (30) installed in the machine just at the outlet of the thread (2) from the rollers constituting the feeding means (1) of the machine, and said clip (30) may be equipped with one or more thread-guide hooks (31) guiding the thread (2) in the top end of the balloon region area, increasing this way the height (h) of such area so that there can be two or more balloon regions (a) when the thread is twisted.

FIGS. 4-A and 4-B show how in a second variant of the embodiment, in fact it is a preferred variant, the additional guiding accessory (3′) is made up of a thread lifting mechanism before twisting the strand, preferably comprising a set of rollers (32) connected with each other on which the strand (2) runs in such a way that said thread (2) forms a loop just at the outlet of the rollers representing the feeding means (1) of the strand where said set of rollers (32) are incorporated, in such a way that said loop lifts the strand (2) above the point where it emerges from said feeding means (1), increasing this way the height (h) of the area of the balloon region so that there can be two or more balloon regions (a) when the thread is twisted.

Preferably, the aforementioned set of rollers (32) which are the preferred variant of the additional guiding accessory (3′) envisages the possibility of moving the relative position thereof to hold the strand (2) between them at one point or another, where appropriate, as shown in FIGS. 4-A and 4-B.

In a preferred embodiment the set of rollers (32) comprises a conveyor belt (33) that maintains the integrity and the guiding of the strand during the lifting thereof.

Optionally, the additional guiding accessory (3′) comprises compaction means of the strand during the lifting thereof. The compaction means serve to reduce the hairiness of the thread with the consequent reduction of the hairiness of the final strand.

For example, the compaction means can be mechanical or by means of air.

Thus, the method of the invention comprises, at least:

-   -   a first stage for removing the conventional guiding means (3) of         the thread (2) located at a distance under the feeding means         (1); and     -   a second stage for incorporating an additional guiding accessory         (3′), which consists of, for example, a clip (30) or of a thread         lifting mechanism before twisting the strand, preferably         comprising a set of rollers (32), optionally with conveyor belt         (33), being placed just behind the feeding means (1) of the         thread, in such a way that the distance between such additional         guiding accessory (3′) and the twisting (4) and winding (5)         means of the thread (2) determine an increase of the height (h)         of the area of the balloon regions (a), between its top and         lower end, which enables two or more balloon regions (a) to be         accommodated.

Having sufficiently described the nature of the invention, as well as the manner in which it is put into practice, it is not necessary to give further explanation so that any person skilled in the art understands its scope and the advantages arising from it, stating that, within its essentiality, it may be put into practice through other embodiments differing in detail from those given as examples, and which shall have the protection claimed as long as its basic principle is not altered, varied or modified. 

1. A method for transforming a thread twisting and/or spinning machine comprising: feeding means (1) of the thread (2) and conventional guiding means (3), located at a distance underneath the feeding means (1), which demarcate the top end of a balloon region (a) at the top, and twisting (4) and winding (5) means of said thread (2) perpendicular to a pickup spool (6), and determining the lower end of the balloon region (a); said method intending to modify the machine in order to increase the height (h) of the aforementioned area of the balloon regions (a), between its lower and top end, in order to obtain two or more balloon regions (a), is characterised in that it comprises at least: a first stage for removing the conventional guiding means (3) of the thread (2) located at a distance underneath the feeding means (1); and a second stage for incorporating an additional guiding accessory (3′) placing it at a point just after the feeding means (1) of the thread, in such a way that the distance between said additional guiding accessory (3′) and the twisting (4) and winding (5) means of the thread (2) determine an increase of the height (h) of the area of the balloon regions (a), between its lower and top end, which enables two or more balloon regions (a) to be accommodated.
 2. The method for transforming a thread twisting and/or spinning machine to increase the height (h) the area of the balloon regions (a) in order to have two or more balloon regions (a), according to a transformation method such as the one described in claim 1 for a machine comprising: feeding means (1) of the thread (2) and guiding means, which demarcate the top end of said balloon region (a) at the top, and twisting (4) and winding (5) means of said thread (2) perpendicular to a pickup spool (6), and which determine the lower end of the balloon region (a), characterised in that it has, as a replacement of the conventional guiding means (3), located at a distance underneath the feeding means (1) of the thread (2), an additional guiding accessory (3′) located at a point just behind the feeding means (1) of the thread (2), which guide the thread (2) at the top end of the area of the balloon region, increasing the height (h) of said area so that there can be two or more balloon regions (a) when the thread (2) is twisted.
 3. A modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine a comprising: feeding means (1) of the thread (2) and guiding means, which demarcate the top end of said balloon region (a) at the top, and twisting (4) and winding (5) means of said thread (2) perpendicular to a pickup spool (6), and which determine the lower end of the balloon region (a), characterised in that it has, as a replacement of the conventional guiding means (3), located at a distance underneath the feeding means (1) of the thread (2), an additional guiding accessory (3′) located at a point just behind the feeding means (1) of the thread (2), which guide the thread (2) at the top end of the area of the balloon region, increasing the height (h) of said area so that there can be two or more balloon regions (a) when the thread (2) is twisted characterised in that said additional guiding accessory (3′) comprises a clip (30) installed in the machine just at the outlet of the thread (2) from the rollers which constitute the feeding means (1) of the machine itself.
 4. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 3, characterised in that the clip (30) which constitutes the additional guiding accessory (3′) is equipped with one or more guide-thread hooks (31) which guide the thread (2).
 5. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 4, characterised in that said additional guiding accessory (3′) comprises a thread lifting mechanism before twisting the strand (2).
 6. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 5, characterised in that the lifting mechanism comprises a set of rollers (32) connected to each other along which the strand (2) runs, in such a way that said strand (2) forms a loop just at the outlet of the rollers (32) which constitute the feeding means (1) of the thread in which said set of rollers is incorporated (32), and in such a way that the said loop lifts the strand (2) above the point where it emerges from said feeding means (1), thus increasing the height (h) of the area of the balloon region so that there can be two or more balloon regions (a) when the thread is twisted.
 7. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 6, characterised in that the set of rollers (32) has mobility of the relative position thereof in order to hold the thread (2) between them at one point or another, as appropriate.
 8. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 6, characterised in that the set of rollers (32) comprises a conveyor belt (33).
 9. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 12, characterised in that the additional guiding accessory (3′) comprises compaction means of the strand during the lifting thereof.
 10. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 9, characterised in that the compaction means are mechanical.
 11. The modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine according to claim 9, characterised in that the compaction means are by means of air.
 12. A modified thread twisting and/or spinning machine comprising: feeding means (1) of the thread (2) and guiding means, which demarcate the top end of said balloon region (a) at the top, and twisting (4) and winding (5) means of said thread (2) perpendicular to a pickup spool (6), and which determine the lower end of the balloon region (a), characterised in that it has, as a replacement of the conventional guiding means (3), located at a distance underneath the feeding means (1) of the thread (2), an additional guiding accessory (3′) located at a point just behind the feeding means (1) of the thread (2), which guide the thread (2) at the top end of the area of the balloon region, increasing the height (h) of said area so that there can be two or more balloon regions (a) when the thread (2) is twisted. 